Chapter 1491 - Subtle

Several hours after entering the portable Japanese cottage, Vahn and Musashi could both be found relaxing in a large bathtub filled with hazy-green water. The former had a content smile on his face, arm hooking around Musashi's shoulders as the latter reclined against him with the look of someone who had survived a dangerous battlefield. She had a somewhat distant look in her eyes, but, despite a lack of focus, there was a considerable amount of satisfaction visible in her countenance.

While letting her mind wander, Musashi absentmindedly traced her finger along the various lines of Vahn's body, lazily asking, "Is it always like this with you? I can see how you are able to keep so many women loyal to you...you're a beast..."

With his ego successfully stroked, Vahn couldn't help but laugh in response to Musashi's musings. It always made him feel slightly vindicated whenever he heard such claims, bringing a large smile to his face before he answered, "I pace myself based on my partner. You're pretty amazing to have lasted for thirteen hours..."

Punctuating his statement, Vahn lightly pinched Musashi's still-erect nipple, causing a hushed moan to escape her throat. In the next moment, however, she dexterously extended her hand beneath the surface of the water, gripping the most delicate part of Vahn's body while turning her eyes up at him with a threatening smile.

Amused by Musashi's silent threat, Vahn returned a smile of his own as he stared into her eyes and let him sleeping dragon speak for itself. This caused her hand to instinctually squeeze, but, refusing to succumb, it wasn't long before his dragon surfaced menacingly. As a result, Musashi issued an awkward laugh, quickly retracting her hand before resting her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes, seemingly intent on pretending she had done no wrong...

Vahn could have let her off, but, despite appearances, he could sense Musashi's expectations quickly rising. Less than two hours had passed in the real world so he still had over half a day to stay inside the cottage without endangering his schedule. Though he wanted to go and spend some time with Semiramis, as she would undoubtedly be expecting him, he could still spare a few minutes to lightly punish Musashi's 'impertinence'...

With this thought crossing his mind, Vahn ran his fingers up Musashi's neck before gently guiding her chin to tilt toward him. This caused her to open her eyes, a slight glaze already spreading across their surface as she stared back at him. Then, with an affectionate smile on his face, Vahn brought his lips close enough to brush against Musashi's as he said, "Point your butt toward me..." before lightly licking her lips...

---

After a considerable stint within the bath, Vahn and Musashi were sitting side-by-side outside the cottage, enjoying a few drinks before his departure. She forced him to hand over more than a dozen premium sake, pointedly reminding him that her time was an expensive commodity. Despite this, she poured him a considerable number of drinks, rarely filling her own cup. This was uncharacteristic for her, but, after everything that had happened over the last couple of hours, Musashi's usual cravings had been completely pacified.

Accepting yet another cup poured by Musashi, Vahn swirled around the contents as he asked, "What are you going to do from now on?"

Hearing his question, Musashi knew it wouldn't be long before Vahn departed to handle his other affairs. This made her feel strangely lonely, causing her to release a small sigh before answering, "I'd like to say I will just follow you back to the Empire...but I can't just up and leave the Heroes Faction. I might not care about their mission all that much, but I would feel guilty if I left without at least trying to explain things. I don't want Alice and Abigail to hate me...besides, I still owe that damned monkey for stealing my reserve stash..."

As her answer wasn't outside of his expectations, Vahn gave an understanding nod before downing the contents of his cup and saying, "After my actions today, I think the goal of the Heroes Faction is going to change. Once things start to settle down, know that you always have a place in Avalon. I'll tell the others what has happened...Artoria might be a little aggressive during your next battle, but she is a good woman. As for Wukong...give her a few smacks for me..."

Amused by Vahn's words, Musashi giggled in an uncharacteristically feminine manner before, once against, resting her head against his shoulder. She had let her hair flow freely, so, contrasting her usual 'wild' ponytail, her pale-pink locks fell gracefully around her shoulders. It gave her a delicate and demure appearance, something she 'very' rarely showed others. Vahn, however, had become a unique existence in her heart, as, not only did he satisfy her in ways she never even thought possible, he allowed her strength to grow further than her efforts alone would allow...

---

As was the case with all good things, Vahn's time with Musashi eventually came to an end. He didn't actually have to leave so abruptly, but, knowing Semiramis would be upset if he wasn't considerably early, it was better to end things on a high note. With this in mind, Vahn decided to spend what remained of their time combing and styling her hair.

Musashi actually wanted him to pick a new style for her, so, after imagining how she would look with various styles, Vahn settled on a modified version of her original. He actually preferred her wild and untamed look quite a bit, so, rather than making a drastic change, he opted to braid the few loose strands she normally allowed to flow freely. This gave her a slightly more 'tidy' appearance, but, at a glance, there wasn't much of a change from before. His intent was to emphasize that, while he had made his mark upon her, he still respected the person she had been before their tryst...

Seeing the braid that now fed into her usual ponytail, Musashi had a satisfied smile on her face as she slowly ran her fingers along its length. It was very subtle, but, as she hadn't changed her style in several centuries, it left quite an impact. She half-expected Vahn to tie her hair up like Artoria's, as, from what she had seen, it seemed to be a 'very' popular style in the Empire. Even a considerable number of female students had started to style their hair similarly, emulating the Empress they had come to fear and respect.

After staring at herself for a full minute, Musashi returned the hand mirror to Vahn, saying, "Thanks for today. It might sound a little strange, but I really needed something like this. I'll be relying on you from time to time, so give me a way to contact you. After what you've done to me, I'm expecting you to take full responsibility. If you try and shirk your responsibilities, don't blame me for charging into Avalon to punish you."

Despite the joking tone she used, Vahn knew Musashi was actually very serious about charging into Avalon. She was, in many ways, like a humanoid typhoon. It was impossible to completely tame her, so, if you neglected her, she had the capacity to become a living natural disaster. While her rampage might not harm anyone, the amount of damage she could cause to buildings and obstacles in her path wasn't something that could be ignored...

As he had already prepared for situations like this, Vahn pulled out a pale-purple ring formed from an enriched version of Jadeite. Besides functioning as an interspatial ring, it also served as a direct line of communication with the paired accessory, the pendant Vahn often wore outside of battle, an exact replica of the one he had crafted to match Lili's. Since the real pendant would turn to dust if he tried to remove it from his Inventory, Vahn had made a copy to serve as one of the many reminders of the home he needed to return to.

After handing over the ring and explaining its functions, Vahn couldn't help but release a sigh, as, despite nodding her head, Musashi didn't seem to be listening. She was too busy admiring the ring after 'forcing' him to quickly place it upon her ring finger. It wasn't the first time someone had tried giving her such a gift, but, as she never had any real interest in the people making the offer, she had refused each and every one of them. This was the first real accessory she had received from another person, bringing a smile to her face as it made things seem more 'official' between her and Vahn.

While Musashi was distracted by her ring, Vahn sneakily reached his hand around to her backs